No. 17 Alabama Baseball Sweeps Valparaiso in Third Dominant Win of Weekend
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Even though a game was played past the top of the seventh inning for the first time in the weekend, the Alabama baseball team still dominated Valparaiso (2-5) for the series sweep Sunday. The final score was 11-1, marking the lowest run total of the weekend for the Crimson Tide. Valparaiso lost the final two games of the series after scoring first.
The pitching was particularly noteworthy on a day once again dominated by offense. Starter Greg Farone went for three innings, and while he was far from perfect, struck out five and gave up only two hits and one run. It was his first weekend start. He was on a pitch count because he got the ball Tuesday against Middle Tennessee and took over the empty rotation spot vacated as a result of Riley Quick's injury. It wasn't exactly a conventional week for a starting pitcher, but he came out of it in good shape.
"[The midweek start] helped a little bit, just get back on the mound and get as much time as I can," Farone said. "It's a long year, but definitely felt good." Through eight contests, no Alabama started has gone five innings. "Now, he'll get a full, normal week of rest," head coach Rob Vaughn said. "You just keep kinda building... A lot of that is kinda how taxing the innings are, too. 60 pitches when there's no traffic is a lot easier on the body than 60 when you're having to pitch out of stuff and do that. Hopefully, we can keep inching those pitch counts up." He reiterated that the name of the game was setting his club up to play its best baseball in May and June.
Relievers Austin Morris and Braylon Myers, who have already seen a lot of work this spring, both stranded runners in tough spots. Morris walked the bags full in the fourth inning and, after a weird situation, rebounded to retire the side with no damage. In the fifth, Myers stranded Beacon runners on second and third. Texas transfer Pierce George then came in and touched triple digits. "We've had some things bounce our way a lot early," Vaughn said. "That's good for them to get in that situation and have to pitch their way through it, compete their way through it." He was complimentary of Morris, who did more than just minimize damage in a bases-loaded spot with no outs: he didn't give up any. It's not often that feat happens, regardless of whether or not a freshman is pitching, which Morris is.
The only run allowed all afternoon was Farone's, when Beacons second baseman Connor Giusti sent a single to left and Kyle Schmack, son of Valpo head coach Brian Schmack, scored. He settled in after the fact, going on to throw 56 pitches, right around the number the coaching staff was hoping to see from him. The bats continued to make life easier for the hurlers with another 12 hits on Sunday. Five were extra-base hits. Only three of Valparaiso's five hits Sunday came after the first inning.
In the home half of each of the first three innings, the No. 17 Crimson Tide’s offense posted two runs. Designated hitter Gage Miller started his day 2-of-2 at the plate and hit his fifth home run of the season, a second-inning, two-run bomb. Center fielder TJ McCants started 0-3 but kept his eight-game hitting streak alive with a sixth-inning home run (his fourth of the campaign, and first of the game). First baseman Will Hodo ran well and scored three times. The end of the game arrived with a seventh inning, walk-off home run by McCants to tie Miller for the team lead. "I was able to get on time in the last two at-bats," he said. "I started to kinda get ahead of myself. When you see a guy not throwing as hard, sometimes you get in between being late or being too early. So you end up being either or in the box, instead of just seeing it and hitting it." He said that during the game, he recalled to his fellow outfielders a time from his Ole Miss days when he started 0-3 and hit two home runs.
"They were like, 'Well, I mean, you might as well do it now.'" He did. McCants' power has proven to be a pleasant surprise in the early going. He had nine home runs in the 2023 season and has sent out five before the end of February. Power hitting is a core piece in Vaughn's pack mentality and the brand of baseball he wants to see the Crimson Tide play. As quickly as Miller took over sole possession of the home run leaderboard, McCants joined him once again. His confidence at the plate is high at present, not that a reason has yet shown for anything else to be the case.
All told, even though the fans at Sewell-Thomas Stadium finally got to see a contest make it to stretch time, the game barely lasted beyond that. The weekend was a stretch of major dominance by Alabama (8-0). While the home team capitalized on some of the help given by the visitors in the form of various mistakes, the outcomes were still convincing. "When you capitalize on stuff like that, it really hurts the other team," McCants said. "The coaches emphasize making sure we make that hurt." Sunday's game marked the end of the Crimson Tide's season-opening homestand, and four of those games were decided in fewer than nine innings. Things are working for Alabama in all phases as it prepares for the short trip to Birmingham to face UAB on Tuesday.
How It Happened:
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- TJ McCants hits a two-run, walk-off home run in the seventh to win the game 11-1.
- Pierce George strikes out two in the seventh. First stretch time of the weekend.
- The Crimson Tide scores twice more in the sixth, but for the first time this weekend, a game will be played at The Joe beyond the top of the seventh inning. 9-1.
- TJ McCants does extend his hitting streak to eight with a solo home run to lead off B6. 8-1 Alabama.
- Braylon Myers tosses an incident-free sixth with one hit. Two, three and four hitters up for Alabama in B6. Ryan Kruse in to pitch for Valpo.
- Through five innings. For the first time today, the Crimson Tide went scoreless in an inning. The score holds serve at 7-1.
- Once again, an Alabama pitcher gets out of a tough spot. Myers strands runners on second and third with no score. Justin Lebron will lead off the home half.
- Alabama adds one more run in the fourth but leaves them loaded. 7-1 Crimson Tide with the fifth inning on deck. Braylon Myers coming in to pitch.
- Grant Jablonski now pitching for Valparaiso.
- Morris walks the bags full then, after a weird situation, gets out of it with no damage. Huge moment for the freshman's confidence.
- The Crimson Tide has scored two runs in every inning and now leads 6-1. The offense isn't slowing down. Austin Morris is in to pitch for Farone.
- Farone now has five strikeouts in three innings. Still 4-1.
- Two innings gone. A McCants groundout and Petrutz flyout end the home second. McCants has gotten a hit in every game this season but is 0-2 today.
- Gage Miller hits home run number five of the season to extend the Alabama lead to 4-1.
- Down in order go the Beacons in the second. Better inning for Farone. He's up to three strikeouts.
- One inning down. 2-1 Crimson Tide.
- Evan Sleight gives Alabama the 2-1 lead with a two-run double. Two gone in B1.
- The Beacons get a pair of hits and a run in the top of the first. Miller, McCants and Petrutz coming up for their first turns at the plate in the bottom half.
- Yellow jerseys, gray pants on Sunday for Valparaiso. Their choice of a cream ensemble yesterday caused some controversy in the Crimson Tide clubhouse. The Beacons join Manhattan College (gray, black, green) as the second team to wear three different uniforms in three games at The Joe this season. It will be script 'Alabama' crimson jerseys for the home team.
- Alabama batting order: 1. Gage Miller, designated hitter; 2. TJ McCants, center field; 3. Ian Petrutz, left field; 4. Will Hodo, first base; 5. Evan Sleight, right field; 6. Mason Swinney, second base; 7. Bryce Eblin, third base; 8. Justin Lebron, shortstop; 9. Kam Guangorena, catcher; P: Greg Farone, LHP
